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Compton Magic AAU Documentary to Premiere in June

"THE SPOILS: Selling the Future of American Basketball" explores the money game of amateur basketball

Michael Ehrlich

Apr 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dribbles the ball in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Apr 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dribbles the ball in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

To basketball insiders, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was NIL before NIL. The athlete recruiting wars, under-the-table deals and global footwear brand recruitment all make for great cinema. Now there is a new documentary that tracks that evolution and highlights the premiere AAU program, the Los Angeles-based Compton Magic.

"THE SPOILS: Selling the Future of American Basketball" directed by Mike Nicoll is set to release on June 13 and will reveal the money game that has always dominated the amateur basketball landscape, pre-dating NIL.

Featuring 10 years of exclusive content and unprecedented access, this documentary profiles the Magic and their CEO Etop Udo-Ema, who has placed more than 35 players in the NBA over the last two decades.

Here is a first-look at the trailer for "THE SPOILS: Selling the Future of American Basketball:"

“This film tells the origin story of modern-day NBA culture,” Nicoll, a former Los Angeles AAU player himself, said. “There has never been a movie like this before, with this level of access. Our film unpacks the raw capitalism of an American basketball machine that is built to identify, anoint, and monetize ‘The Next LeBron.’” 

The documentary tracks generations of Compton Magic stars from a pre-NIL universe, including Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Onyeka Okongwu of the Atlanta Hawks and Johnny Juzang of the Utah Jazz, among others. Additionally, basketball experts such as Jay Bilas, Sonny Vaccaro and Howard Beck lend their perspectives on the grassroots industry overall and the finances behind it.

“NIL money has overhauled ‘amateur’ sports, and gambling money bankrolls sports media,” added Nicoll. “We wanted to tell the truth about the game. Money has compromised the system to its core. What happens to the sport when the game itself becomes secondary?”

"THE SPOILS: Selling the Future of American Basketball" releases on the JOLT website on June 13 for 30 days and then will live on THE SPOILS' website.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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